Does it offer any touch screen control options or is the touch screen just like an alternate mouse pointer?

Most importantly, hows corner clicking? ;D

It operates similarly to a mouse, but the OS is aware when you are using your finger as apposed to a mouse. It adjust some of the UI elements to deal with your finger. So when you scroll a windows with your finger it has kinetics and visual feedback. When you slide your finger on the jump list it spreads the menu items out so that its more finger friendly. There are lots of little things like this, but it still needs to come a long way- Windows 7 still needs a lot of work to be more finger friendly. But to answer your question, yes corner clicking still sucks.